FOR many people snow is synonymous to Christmas and something they hope to see.

However, over time, white Christmases have become less and less likely.

White Christmases were a lot more common in the 18th and 19th centuries, even more so before 1752, which is when the calendar changed and brought Christmas 12 days earlier.

According to the Met Office, the definition of a white Christmas is for one snowflake to be observed falling during the 24 hours of December 25.

The last time Ealing had that was in 2010, when the majority of the country experienced an unexpected amount of snowfall.

The odds of having some snowfall a decade later are quite slim, with Ladbrokes offering 4/1 odds.

According to BBC weather, Ealing will see highs of 4C and lows of 2C, but will remain dry throughout.

Tom Morgan, a meteorologist at the Met Office said: "It's going to be a frosty Christmas rather than a white Christmas.

"Even though it's not going to be a white Christmas, people will still need their big coats and scarves and hats for any walks they may be going on over the Christmas period."